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FSM to Collect Household Information for Negotiation Purposes

PALIKIR, Pohnpei (FSM Information Service): June 26, 1997 - President Jacob Nena wrote to all state governors informing them that the FSM is making preparations for the Compact renegotiations and in doing so, the FSM must clearly understand the performance of its fragile economy's environment and the social condition of the people.

Nena said FSM must equip itself with sound economic statistical trends because he believes the U.S. Government would like to know the situations in the FSM before giving consideration to FSM's requests in any matter. Human resources characteristics information including economically active population, employment, unemployment and underemployment, income, production and expenditure at household level, which are also essential for the design and evaluation programs geared for employment creation, vocational training, income maintenance, poverty alleviation and similar objectives for the formulation of macro-economic policy, Nena said.

In accomplishing this task, the President requested the FSM Governors for their assistance in providing office space and staff to the representatives from FSM's Office of Planning and Statistics and the FSM Department of Resources and Development in collecting information from household sectors in their states by designating a survey coordinator from among his staff in the Office of Planning and Statistics, and forwarded to the FSM Office of Planning and Statistics as soon as possible the name of selected individual.

A pretest survey is scheduled for September this year. However, the actual survey will be early next year, Nena said.

The cost of the project will be shared with the U.S. Department of Interior contributing $150,000 and the FSM's share is $45,000, which was originally designated for the formulation of a comprehensive system of manpower and employment information. Further clarification can be obtained from the Chief of Statistic in the Office of the National Planner.